What Led to Downfall of Brendan Fraser?
Brendan Fraser has worked in some if the most popular movies of its time such as The Mummy, George of The Jungle, Bedazzled and more. Despite his early success, Fraser’s career eventually declined, and he became a relatively unknown actor. Several interrelated events contributed to Brendan Fraser’s fall from grace.
Brendan Fraser’s career collapse can be partially attributed to his physical ailments. While filming “The Mummy Returns” in 2001, Fraser had a major back injury, one of several he endured throughout his career. His inability to take on physically taxing tasks was hampered by his history of surgery and ongoing pain management issues. While filming 2000’s “Bedazzled,” Fraser also sustained a brain injury that left him temporarily deaf and off-balance. Leading jobs in action films, which were a big part of his early career, became difficult to come by when he had these injuries and reached his 40s.
The dearth of quality acting opportunities also contributed to Brendan Fraser career collapse. Although he had an early run of success with blockbuster movies, after that Fraser had a hard time landing main roles in films of a higher calibre. There is a lot of competition for jobs in the entertainment industry, and an actor’s fame, contacts, and skill are only few of the criteria that determine whether or not they get cast in leading roles. It was difficult for Fraser to compete in the business since he did not have the same star power or critical recognition as some of his contemporaries. Moreover, he was less successful critically and commercially because he was taking on roles that were less demanding and tough.
Fraser’s private life was a major contributing factor to his fall from grace. After filing for divorce from each other in 2007, Fraser and Afton Smith had a publicised custody struggle over their three children. Fraser has been forthright about the toll that despair and anxiety had on his psyche and life. Fraser’s ability to acquire great parts and retain his former success may have been damaged by his public divorce and personal troubles, both of which may take a toll on a person’s mental health under the strain and scrutiny of the entertainment business.
The ever-shifting nature of the entertainment business was also a contributing reason to Fraser’s fall from grace. Previously entrenched power structures in Hollywood have been upended by the advent of streaming services and the widespread use of social media. There has been a shift in the film business, with traditional studios and networks losing some of their power and new entrants gaining ground. With the rise of online celebrities and performers with enormous social media followings, it is now more difficult for established actors like Fraser to land main roles. Nowadays, there is a lot of rivalry for people’s time and money in the entertainment sector because of the increased number of different niches in the market.
Finally, Fraser’s reputation might have played a role in his fall from grace. He used to be well-liked for his charisma and good nature, but now there are reports circulating about how he acted during filming and behind the scenes. Fraser accused former HFFPA president Philip Berk of assaulting him in a 2018 interview with GQ. Fraser’s experience brought to light the abusive practises prevalent in the entertainment business and generated a larger discussion regarding the treatment of performers, particularly women, and the misuse of authority.
Brendan Fraser’s downfalls was due to many reasons as mentioned. There were several factors that contributed to his career downturn, including physical injuries, a lack of quality parts, personal issues, the shifting entertainment industry environment, and his reputation. Fraser’s recent return, however, with his critically lauded performances in the series “Doom Patrol” and the upcoming film “The Whale,” demonstrates that it is possible for performers to recover from failures.